Quark999

Interesting, trying to do that now I get an “invalid signature” error, and that includes the French QR code (converted from the NHS App). I wonder whether they are now checking the signing authority, and didn’t before (or had mistakingly included the NHS previously). I think there are plans to accept the NHS QR-code EU-wide (again, I never understood what the big deal about that was, but now that I realise they stopped working I get it). The signature error also explains why the French code doesn’t check out with the German or Dutch checkers, they must not consider the UK signature valid, whereas the latest French update does. There’s probably others that do, but “translating” into the native apps doesn’t help the other countries, as the signature in the code doesn’t actually change.
At least that’s my theory - I bet that’s open-source documented somewhere.
——
Edit: Here wo go, https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/de...s_en.pdf#page7

There is indeed certificate metadata embedded in the code, including the certificate issuer. I bet that wasn’t checked yet a few months ago, probably because they were quite late with the apps anyway. It is probably up to each app to decide which certificate issuer is trusted (and there are some complicated “third country equivalence” rules), and that also explains why the French checker had to be updated to accept the NHS certificates. Nothing that can be done at the certificate end I’m afraid
——-
Edit 2: This is the kind of stuff I read in the news and never understood - https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...e-eu-countries

The UK Covid QR codes were developed to the European specs (thankfully), and indeed worked in Germany for a while, until the signature was checked/enforced. It was always reported that the systems needed “linking”, and I never understood what that was supposed to be, but I now understand it is merely about accepting the UK signature(s). Of course the could be loads of different, so perhaps something does need to get linked to incorporate them into the checker apps. Most of them are open source, so might have a dig as to how they verify the signature, whether that feature was added later, and how they confirm their trusted authorities (as that must be centralised?)

Silver Fox

It's been giving "invalid signature" for a while now. There doesn't seem to be any effort to try and fix this.

13901

I have to say that, in Germany, every place (the wework I went to do my meetings, restaurants, hotel etc) simply checked the Apple wallet card of my vaccination, shrugged and said "yeah, all good". Now I'm in Italy and security over in the company I'm visiting was scanning my card (and it worked).

BTW, I missed Schengen flying!

Quark999

According to this link https://www.thelocal.it/20210812/ita...-vaccinations/ Italy updated their checker app just like France did - I just tried their verifier app and it accepts the French code, as does it the NHS code directly.

I don’t know what Wework did in Germany, but I tried *a* German checker app and it failed. There appear to be multiple checkers - so it could well be they used an old version that doesn’t check the signature yet, or an even newer one that had been updated to accept the NHS code. In fact, the French app tells users to ask their venue to download a newer version if their NHS code fails

I think we need a bit of a matrix, at least for the “official” checkers if there is one:
France - works - people care
Germany - doesn’t work - people don’t care
Italy - works - people care/don’t care?
Netherlands - doesn’t work - people care/ don’t care?
Denmark - not used anymore

Dan1113

I had multiple places in Germany over the past week not only check the app but scan it, and even then check ID to make sure it matched. Luckily I had an eu covpass so it would work.

flashware

Not sure if this is the best place to ask or not, but a bit of a left field question. A friend's daughter has recently had COVID and is being told she can't do a PCR as it'll come back positive. She's going to France and is led to believe that proof of being recently infected will do the job in lieu of a test in any case.

How best can that be shown? Is the SMS result from NHS sufficient?

The GP gave her a form to use, but it has very little detail and doesn't look very official.

DaveS

If she has a positive test result, that is more than 11 days old, that should be sufficient for entry according to the IATA advice. If here visit is more than 11 days away she could get a PCR done which would solve the problem whatever the result. Have a look at this page if you have not done so already:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...y-requirements

And section 2.2 here:

https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actual...ational-travel

flashware

Merci! Will pass it on.

Gagravarr

Have been in Italy 2 days now, and last night someone finally wanted to scan our vaccination QR code! Unfortunately it came up red with a big cross saying not valid...

As it was a popular restaurant and we didn't have a reservation, we didn't feel we could start asking if they'd updated their scanning app recently. After a brief discussion about how it was an English code, they wanted to see the vaccination dates and details, before letting us in.

Gagravarr

Two more Italian checks today, both failed to recognise an NHS code....

flashware

So how did you get around it, or did you end up being denied entry?

Gagravarr

Bit of a delay while they wanted to see the details of the vaccinations, but otherwise no great issue.

Had another scan fail today, somewhere quiet enough to discuss with the person scanning, and they said they thought they did have the latest version of the scanning app. So, possibly Italy hasn't started trusting NHS codes yet despite the news article linked above

slicktony

Hi there, I just wondered if anyone here in the know - cough c-w-s cough - had any idea whether how soon was “soon” for the UK system to be approved by the EU scheme?

Am heading back to Germany next week, and I see that sadly the certificate in my Corona-Warn app is no longer recognised.

corporate-wage-slave

I haven't heard anything recently I'm afraid, I suspect it's still slowly working its way through the EU Commission. I think I'd get the posted NHS certificate via 119 and try the Irish DCC via their HSE Covid Tracker app.

corporate-wage-slave

This has now been confirmed (or will be later today). The UK and EU have reached full alignment on their systems, and 4 UK Covid Passes are now included in the EU's structure of COVID passes with immediate effect. So that includes the NHS App and 119 print outs issued by NHS England.

In practical terms it end the problem of daily testing in the Netherlands. Elsewhere in Europe, where a COVID pass is required the NHS and Department of Health passes will either be accepted directly and / or be enabled for incorporation on local COVID passes. By implication it also allows easier travel since in a few cases a EU recognised pass reduces or eliminates testing requirements.

Under the rules, places like Switzerland and Panama will also recognise the UK certifcates. And in the case of Switzerland obviate the need to pay CHF30 for their local endorsement. I may take a few days for the 18 non EU countries on the system to update their local processes.

So quite big news this one. The EU vocabulary for this is "Third Country EU Digital COVID certificate Equivalence"

The full list of countries now on this system - the nearest we have to an international standard - is:

• Albania
• Andorra
• Armenia (also added today)
• Faroe Islands
• Israel
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Morocco
• Monaco
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Panama
• San Marino
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• The Vatican City State.